Sierra Leonean football legend Kei Kamara has retired at 41, leaving behind a legacy as the MLS's second-highest all-time goalscorer.
Sierra Leonean football legend and Major League Soccer all-time second-leading goalscorer Kei Kamara has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 41, ending a remarkable 20-year career that took him to the highest levels of American soccer and made him one of Major League Soccer’s greatest goalscorers.. Kamara, 41, known as the “Head Master,” announced his retirement on Monday, May 4, 2026, through a video posted on social media.. Kamara retires
from football as MLS’s all-time second-leading regular-season goalscorer with 147 goals, behind only Chris Wondolowski, and playing for twelve MLS teams.. His career spanned across leagues in Africa, Europe, and America.. “I never played for just one crest,” Kamara said in his farewell message.. “I played for the love of the game.” From Kenema To America Kei Ansu Kamara was born on September 1, 1984, in Kenema, Eastern Sierra Leone, where his love for football
began.. Like many young Africans who love football, Kamara started playing football in open spaces, streets, and compounds.. It was on the streets of Freetown where Kamara’s football career began to leap to stardom, signing his first professional contract for FC Kallon in 2001.. He left Sierra Leone as a refugee at around 16 years old, after spending time in The Gambia during the civil war, before moving to the United States through a refugee
programme Kamara’s childhood, however, was shaped by hardship.. He grew up during Sierra Leone’s civil war, a conflict that forced many families to flee their homes.. Hi family eventually sought refuge in The Gambia before he moved to the United States as a teenager through a refugee programme.. In America, football became more than a childhood passion.. It became a path to survival, identity, and purpose.. Kamara settled in California and went on to play
college football at California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he scored loads of goals and attracted the attention of professional football scouts.. A Career Built On Goals And Longevity Kamara joined the Major League Soccer in 2006 when the Columbus Crew selected him as the ninth overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft.. Over two decades, Kamara played for a record 12 MLS clubs, including Columbus Crew, San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City, New
England Revolution, Vancouver Whitecaps, Colorado Rapids, Minnesota United, CF Montréal, Chicago Fire, LAFC, and FC Cincinnati.. He also played in Finland for HIFK, in England for Norwich and Middlesbrough, and in Sierra Leone for FC Kallon.. Known for his movement in the box, aerial strength, and trademark headed goals, Kamara became one of the most consistent forwards the MLS has ever seen.. He finished with 147 regular-season goals and 464 regular-season appearances, placing him among
the league’s all-time greats in both scoring and longevity.. Kamara’s best individual MLS season came in 2015, when he scored 22 regular-season goals for the Columbus Crew, earned an MLS Best XI selection, and was named an MLS All-Star twice (2015 – 2021), becoming the first Sierra Leonean to achieve such a feat.. He won two U.S.. Open Cup titles, first with Sporting Kansas City in 2012 and later with LAFC in 2024.. Breaking Records
In England In January 2013, Kamara joined Norwich City on loan from Sporting Kansas City, becoming the first Sierra Leonean to both play and score in the English Premier League, one of the most-watched and competitive football leagues in the world.. On February 23, 2013, Kamara came off the bench for Norwich against Everton and scored with a powerful header to help Norwich secure a 2-1 victory.. He made 11 Premier League appearances for Norwich
and scored once.. More than a decade later, he remains the only Sierra Leonean to have scored in the English Premier League.. After his Norwich spell, Kamara continued his English journey with Middlesbrough in the Championship, the second tier of English football, where he scored four goals in 25 appearances.. Leone Stars Legacy Image: Kei Kamara in action for Leone Stars against Algeria.. At age 23, Kei Kamara made his debut for the Sierra Leone
national team on June 14, 2008, during a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bafana Bafana.. The match ended in a 4-1 victory for South Africa, a start that would become a long international career with Sierra Leone.. In 2021, Kamara took the Sierra Leone national team to the Africa Cup of Nations.. He scored the decisive goal against Benin to help Sierra Leone qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time
since 1996.. Impact Outside the Pitch Aside from scoring goals on the pitch, Kamara is also scoring goals outside the pitch for good reasons, by helping young people in Sierra Leone through his foundation, HeartShapedHands Through his foundation, Kamra has helped provide scholarships, school fees, educational materials, sports equipment, and humanitarian support to young people across Sierra Leone.. He has also organised football clinics and youth empowerment initiatives aimed at creating opportunities for the next
generation.. Kamara has been using his career to advocate for education, youth development, and positive change in Sierra Leone.. In 2015, his humanitarian work earned him the MLS Humanitarian of the Year recognition for his charitable efforts through HeartShapedHands and other educational initiatives supporting children in Sierra Leone.. “From Sierra Leone to America, 20 years of chasing something bigger,” Kamara said in his farewell message.. “Goals fade, records fade.. But it is what you carry
forward that stays.” For Sierra Leoneans, Kamara retires not only as an MLS legend but as a Sierra Leonean legend and role model to many young Sierra Leoneans dreaming of becoming professional football players.. He leaves the game as one of MLS’s and Africa’s greatest forwards, closing his football chapter with over 500 appearances.